How to Handle Aggressive Dogs at Your Dog Daycare & Kennel

Starting a dog daycare business is a great way to make some good money. However, dealing with aggressive dogs can pose challenges for both the dogs and the staff, and it's something that you're going to have to deal with sooner or later. Aggressive dogs can make other dogs and people feel scared or threatened, which can negatively impact the experience for everyone involved. If your business is known to have aggressive dogs, you can be darn sure that you're going to lose clients because of it. That said, to ensure that your dog daycare is a safe and enjoyable environment for all, it's important to know how to handle aggressive dogs. Here are five tips to help you handle aggressive dogs at your dog daycare:

Identify the Root Cause of the Aggression

Before you can handle aggressive behavior, you need to understand what is causing it. Common causes of aggression in dogs include fear, anxiety, dominance, territoriality, and possessiveness. Understanding the root cause of the aggression can help you address it more effectively. Talk with the dog's owner about what might be causing the dog to be aggressive. Also, remind yourself to take a good look at the owner as well. The owner might say that they have no idea why the dog is being aggressive, but when you see how they interact with their dog, it's easy to see that THEY are the root of the dog's aggression.

Train and Educate Your Staff

Your staff should be trained to recognize and handle aggressive behavior in dogs. This training should include information on how to recognize the signs of aggression, how to approach aggressive dogs safely, and how to diffuse aggressive situations. Making sure that your employees are prepared for an aggressive dog will help ensure that you can stop the aggression before it turns dangerous. Here's a good YouTube video on how to spot the early signs of aggression.

Implement a Clear and Consistent Policy for Aggressive Dogs

Your dog daycare should have a clear and consistent policy for dealing with aggressive dogs. This policy should outline the steps that will be taken if a dog shows aggressive behavior, such as separating the dog from the group or requiring a behavior assessment from a professional. It's a good idea to make sure that each of your clients agrees to the aggressive pet policy. This way, if their pet should ever turn aggressive, you can show them their signature and they'll remember that they signed the form.

Provide Appropriate Socialization Opportunities

Providing opportunities for dogs to socialize with other dogs can help reduce aggressive behavior. However, it's important to match dogs with compatible playmates to prevent aggressive interactions. Consider using a temperament test to assess each dog's social skills and playstyle before allowing them to play together. Socialization can be a great way to help turn aggressive dogs into nicer, more friendly, dogs. Sometimes the lack of socialization is the main reason for their aggression; they're not used to being around other dogs. Try to slowly introduce your aggressive dogs to other dogs so they can start to open up. While some aggression in dogs is genetic, it is also a learned behavior that can be unlearned.

Consider Professional Help

If a dog's aggressive behavior cannot be addressed through training and socialization, consider seeking help from a professional dog behaviorist. A behaviorist can help identify the root cause of the aggression and provide a customized training plan to help the dog overcome it. If you've done everything possible and the dog is still not coming around, it's best to talk with the owner and give them some options. If they're willing to get professional help for their dog, perhaps you'll be willing to welcome their dog back into your daycare if they can show marked signs of improvement. Hopefully your clients takes you up on the professional help. However, if not, be prepared to ban their pet from your facility. The owner will be upset, but you're doing what's right for the safety of the other pets at your business.

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